MALELANE, South Africa — Brandon Stone cruised to a seven-shot victory Sunday in the Alfred Dunhill Championship as fellow South African and defending champion Charl Schwartzel faded dramatically on the back nine.
Leading by three strokes going into the final round at Leopard Creek Country Club in north-eastern South Africa, Stone carded a final-round 67, five-under par.
He finished on 266 after earlier rounds of 67, 66 and 66 over the 6,663-meter (7,287-yard) course carved out of bush and bordering the Kruger Park game reserve.
Pre-tournament favourite Schwartzel, seeking a fifth Dunhill title, trailed Stone by only two shots halfway through a final round staged in scorching 37-degree celsius (99 fahrenheit) heat.
But a bogey six at 13 — his favorite golf hole — triggered a collapse and the former US Masters champion carded a two-over 74 for share of fourth, nine strokes behind Stone.
South African Richard Sterne came second on 273 after finishing with a 67 and Belgian Thomas Detry fired a 68 to come third two strokes further back.
Thomas Aiken (69) of South Africa, Benjamin Hebert (72) of France, Scott Jamieson (69) of Scotland, Carlos Pigem (69) of Spain and Graeme Storm (68) of England shared fourth place with Schwartzel.
It was the second European Tour triumph for Stone, a 23-year-old born in north-western mining town Rustenburg, after winning the South African Open last January.
Kumar wins Panasonic Open
India’s Mukesh Kumar fired a crucial birdie on the 15th hole to set up his first Asian Tour victory at the Panasonic Open India golf tournament in New Delhi Sunday.
Kumar, 51, who became the oldest player to win an Asian Tour title, carded 67, 69 and 70 for a total of 10-under 206 in the fog-hit tournament, which was reduced to three rounds and 54 holes.
Kumar, who started the day with an overnight lead of two shots at eight-under, shot three birdies against a lone bogey on the final day to outshine compatriots Jyoti Randhawa and Rashid Khan, who finished tied second.
Kumar as now secured an Asian Tour card for the next two years.
Kumar, who led each of the three rounds, was tied with Randhawa twice in the day before taking the lead at the 15th hole and scoring pars in the final three to pocket a winning purse of $72,000.
Sri Lanka’s Mithun Perera, at 8-under 208, finished fourth. The other top 10 places on the final leaderboard belonged to Indian players.
The 2015 champion Chirag Kumar of India finished tied 15th in the 73-player field in the final round.
